Dr. Christopher L. Bell, MD
General Surgery (Surgery Physician)
- Medicare participating
At a glance
- Medical school
- Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine (2000)
- Years since graduation
- 26
- In the NPI registry since
- 2006
- Medicare patients seen, 2024
- 283
Licensed in Texas since 2003, according to the Texas Medical Board. We show license dates only for the states that publish them in bulk; see which states do. For other states, check the state medical board.
The NPI date is when this clinician registered for a National Provider Identifier, the billing number used on health claims. It is not a license, graduation or board-certification date. NPIs were first issued in May 2005 and became required on claims in 2007–2008, so an early date usually means the clinician was already in practice before then. What an NPI is
Education and training
- 2000Medical school: Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine
- 2006Registered with an NPI (national billing number; not a license date) — NPIs began in 2005, so practice likely started earlier
Undergraduate school, residency, fellowship, licensing exams and board certification aren’t in public federal data. Board certification can be confirmed with the certifying board (ABMS member boards for MDs, AOA boards for DOs).
Specialties and state licenses
-
Surgery Physician primary
TX license L6783 (first issued 2003; active)
As reported to the NPI registry. To confirm a license is current, check the state medical board.
Where they work
Hospitals
- Medical City Dallas Hospital Dallas, TX
Hospitals this clinician lists with Medicare, and groups they bill Medicare through (Care Compare). Affiliation doesn’t mean they see patients at every location.
Medicare patients and services
- Medicare patients, 2024
- 283
- Services billed
- 856
- Patients’ average age
- 67
| Service | Times | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes | 217 | 108 |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes | 84 | 84 |
| Initial hospital care with moderate level of medical decision making, if using time, at least 75 minutes | 53 | 46 |
| Subsequent hospital care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 25 minutes | 35 | 20 |
| Repair of groin hernia using an endoscope | 19 | 19 |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 60-74 minutes | 18 | 18 |
| Injection of agent into vein to assess blood flow of skin graft or flap | 12 | 12 |
| Removal of gallbladder using an endoscope | 12 | 12 |
Medicare fee-for-service only. CMS leaves out services billed for fewer than 11 patients. These figures describe a practice’s Medicare work; they aren’t a measure of quality.
Medicare prescriptions
| Drug | Prescriptions |
|---|---|
| Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen (hydrocodone/acetaminophen) Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 120 |
| Levothyroxine Sodium Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 52 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 42 |
| Ozempic (semaglutide) Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 34 |
| Dicyclomine Hcl Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 30 |
| Methocarbamol Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 26 |
| Promethazine Hcl Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 21 |
| Ondansetron Odt (ondansetron) Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 21 |
| Gabapentin Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 13 |
| Omeprazole Other prescribers in Dallas,, TX | 12 |
Prescriptions filled under Medicare Part D, including refills. CMS leaves out drugs prescribed fewer than 11 times.
Payments from drug and device companies
In 2025, 16 companies reported 52 payments worth $18,013 in total to this clinician.
| Enterra Medical, Inc. | $16,329 |
|---|---|
| Medtronic, Inc. | $603 |
| Dilon Technologies, Inc. | $300 |
| Ethicon US, LLC | $188 |
| Davol Inc. | $178 |
| Becton, Dickinson and Company | $137 |
| Smith+nephew, Inc. | $62.70 |
| Lilly USA, LLC | $33.15 |
| Consulting Fee | $15,200 |
|---|---|
| Food and Beverage | $2,337 |
| Travel and Lodging | $476 |
What the payments were for
| Company | What it was for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Enterra Medical, Inc. Jul 2, 2025 | Consulting Fee in-kind | $3,300 |
| Enterra Medical, Inc. Mar 7, 2025 | Consulting Fee in-kind | $2,500 |
| Enterra Medical, Inc. Apr 22, 2025 | Consulting Fee in-kind | $2,500 |
| Enterra Medical, Inc. May 14, 2025 | Consulting Fee in-kind | $2,500 |
| Enterra Medical, Inc. May 31, 2025 | Consulting Fee in-kind | $2,500 |
| Enterra Medical, Inc. Sep 30, 2025 | Consulting Fee in-kind | $1,900 |
| Medtronic, Inc. Apr 17, 2025 | Travel and Lodging SIGNIA · Surgical Stapling · travel to Denver, CO · in-kind | $239 |
| Medtronic, Inc. May 1, 2025 | Travel and Lodging SIGNIA · Surgical Stapling · travel to Broomfield, CO · in-kind | $184 |
| Medtronic, Inc. Apr 17, 2025 | Travel and Lodging SIGNIA · Surgical Stapling · travel to Denver, CO · in-kind | $35.07 |
| Medtronic, Inc. May 1, 2025 | Travel and Lodging SIGNIA · Surgical Stapling · travel to Broomfield, CO · in-kind | $17.95 |
Each payment as the company reported it, with the products it named. Meals are counted in the totals above but not listed one by one.
From CMS Open Payments. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing; many are for consulting, teaching or meals. Clinicians can review and dispute their records with CMS.